HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Science and Engineering Services said this morning it will spend nearly $70 million expanding its manufacturing operations in Huntsville – a move that will create 450 new jobs in the Rocket City.

SES leaders, Gov. Robert Bentley, Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and others announced the development today at the Farnborough International Airshow in London.

SES will span more than 1.3 million square feet of hangar, manufacturing and integration space in four facilities in Huntsville when the five-year expansion is complete.

"Huntsville remains a strategic hub in the aviation industry and SES is proud to be a part of this community," SES Senior Vice President for Aviation Derek Paquette said in a statement. " ... The expansion of our facilities and capabilities will allow us to even better support our customers and ultimately, the young men and women who fly, drive or operate the products we develop."

SES, which offers maintenance, repair and overhaul services for helicopters, airplanes, ground combat systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, operates two Huntsville locations on Pulaski Pike and Dunlop Boulevard. SES Headquarters and R&D Laboratory are in Maryland, but the company also has facilities in Pax River, Md. and Warner Robins, Ga.

Work on the expansion project, which is expected to begin immediately, will include the construction of hangar bays, new office space, a parking lot, aircraft parking spaces and a new helipad to support commercial and military clients.

Details on incentives were not immediately available, but a news release said the Madison County Commission, Tennessee Valley Authority, Huntsville Utilities and Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County assisted with the project.

Only seven months into 2014, Battle said it is already an "excellent year for Huntsville and all of Alabama."

"With this announcement, SES is demonstrating what we've been saying for quite some time now," he said in a statement. "In Huntsville, you can do your research, development, engineering and manufacturing all in the same location. This systems approach is why Huntsville continues to be on the radar for companies looking to innovate and create."

SES Chief Executive Officer E.J. Sinclair said the expansion will benefit existing customers, as well as new programs supporting the DoD, aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and foreign military customers.

SES, which currently employs 750 in Huntsville, serves mainly the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other international governments.

"The announcement of SES is great news for Huntsville and the entire state," Governor Robert Bentley said. "We have positioned ourselves to be a leader in aerospace and aviation, and the SES expansion is further proof of that success. I appreciate the leaders at Science and Engineering Services LLC for the investment in Alabama, and I look forward to the company's continued success in Huntsville."

City of Huntsville Director of Urban Planning Shane Davis and Business Relations Officer Harrison Diamond will hold media interviews to discuss the SES project later this morning at City Hall.

Send Lucy Berry an email at lberry@al.com.

Updated at 7:39 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2014 with more details about the SES expansion.